Forbidden Friendship
by 03Renee1214
Summary: The Demon Lords are on the rise, and plan on taking over the Digital World by storm. However, one rouge Digimon and his newly acquired partner may be the key to defeating them, that is, if they can learn to work together. If not, both their worlds will be lost forever.
1. Chapter 1

**So I've this idea stuck in my head for a long time and I finally decided to just go with it and see how it does. It's basically my own version of a new Digimon season, with a girl as the main protagonist/"goggle-head". This is also my first Digimon story and I hope that you all like it. I welcome any helpful tips and constructive criticism so don't be afraid to point out something you think is wrong. **

**I do not own Digimon, it rightfully belongs to its respective owners! **

* * *

**Forbidden Friendship**

**Chapter 1 - And So it Begins . . .**

The airport was abuzz with activity. From left to right, as far as the eye could see, people both young and old bustled through the crowded hallways, their shoes gently clapping against the tiled floor. As one of the gate doors opened, more people joined into the fray as they exited the boarding ramp from their flight, adding to the number of people in the pristine building, and among them was a young girl. The girl's bright green eyes flickered curiously around at her new surroundings as she absentmindedly followed the other passengers of her flight, while hoisting her backpack further up her shoulder.

"So this is what it's like to be in a foreign country." She mumbled softly to herself as she craned her head to get a better look at everything around her. The airport was vibrant, and full of life, giving off a rather cheery, but busy atmosphere. If she closed her eyes, she could just briefly pretend that she was back home, that she had never stepped on that plane, that she had never left.

"Riley!" A young voice cried out over the roaring murmurs of the crowd, interrupting her thoughts.

Blinking in surprise, the girl turned at the sound of her name, and smiled slightly when she saw a young girl, much younger than her, running towards her.

"Hi, Keiko." Riley greeted the six year old kindly, and crouched down slightly as the little girl approached her. "What can I do for you?"

"I just wanted to say thank you for playing with me on the plane!" Keiko said ecstatically with a wide grin, her pigtails bouncing wildly behind her. "Mommy and Daddy don't know how to play, so I would've been really bored without you!"

Riley chuckled at the younger girl's words. "No problem, it was fun. Maybe I'll see you around sometime and we can play again?"

Stars practically danced in Keiko's eyes at the thought of playing with the older girl again, and she nodded her head enthusiastically.

"Yeah, that would be awesome!"

"Keiko, it's time to go!"

Both girls turned their heads to see Keiko's parents walking towards them from they had been watching their daughter a couple feet away, and the six year old pouted as her mother placed a gentle hand on top of her messy dark locks.

"But, Mommy," Keiko whined hopelessly, while grasping on to her mother's leg, "I want to play with Riley some more!"

"Now, now, sweetheart," The woman chided gently, "we need to hurry so that we can go visit Grandma, besides I'm sure Riley-chan has her own family to go to. Now say goodbye."

The little girl jutted out her bottom lip in a helpless pout, but reluctantly nodded. "Okay." She then glanced over at the twelve year old next to her. "Bye, Riley."

"Bye, Keiko," Riley replied with a tiny smile, "I'll see you around, okay?"

Keiko nodded, and as her mother began to drag her away Keiko's father stayed a moment longer, and gave Riley a warm smile.

"Thank you for playing with her, Riley-chan." The man thanked the twelve year old. "You are a very sweet girl."

"Um, thanks." Riley said modestly, suddenly feeling bashful from the unexpected praise, and she could faintly feel her cheeks warming up slightly.

Keiko's father merely smiled in return before rejoining his wife and daughter, and Riley let her eyes linger on the small family as they walked away, gazing at them longingly. As she watched them interact she could plainly see the pure love and affection they had for one another, and it mad the girl's heart clench painfully in remembrance, nearly suffocating her. Biting her lip, Riley quickly looked away as she stood up, but before she left she sent one last fleeting glance towards Keiko and her parents as they disappeared into the crowd, feeling somewhat envious of the little girl. Shaking her head, she then made her way towards the baggage claim area where the rest of her luggage awaited her.

Despite being in a new country, Riley managed to find her luggage with little difficulty. Her sky blue suitcase rolled silently behind her as she walked down the tiled halls among an endless sea of people in every direction, her headphones now plugged in to drown out the constant buzz of the crowd. Her song was interrupted, however when her phone suddenly beeped, alerting her that she had received a new text message. Pulling her iPhone out of her pocket, Riley quickly tapped in her password and opened her messages. Her eyes lit up when she saw that it was from her aunt, and she quickly read its contents.

_Riley, I'm here at the pickup area. Where are you?_

With a few swift strokes across the keyboard, Riley then sent her text to her aunt, who she hoped wasn't worrying too much.

_On my way, be there in five minutes_.

Once she was sure her text went through, Riley pocketed her phone and returned to the music still playing in her ears. As she listened, she began to think of her aunt, who she hadn't seen since Christmas five years ago when she was seven. The girl wondered how much her relative had changed since then, and then thought about how much _she_ must've changed since she was seven and what her aunt would think of her.

Riley liked to think she hadn't changed too much. She still had the same bright green eyes, soft caramel-colored hair, and tomboyish persona. The only physical difference she could think of was that she had grown taller and cut her hair. It used be long; long enough to where it could reach her waist when it wasn't in a braid or ponytail. Now, though, her hair was kept in a short, almost boyish, bob cut that ended just before it reached her shoulders. If she recalled correctly, her aunt used to love her long hair.

Oh well.

A few minutes later, Riley soon found herself nearing the pickup area, and began looking through the crowd in hopes of spotting her aunt. Many of the adults around her, however, were fairly taller than her, and blocked her vision, causing her to sigh in frustration. Why, oh why did she have to be so short? Sometimes it sucked being a kid. You were always dwarfed by grownups who towered over you.

Adjusting the strap on her backpack, Riley grabbed the handle of her suitcase and continued to roam the area, hoping that she would run into her aunt sooner or later. Squinting her eyes, the girl skimmed through the various faces surrounding her, but her efforts seemed fruitless. Searching for a woman who she hadn't seen in five years within a crowded place like this was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Nearly impossible.

"Looking for me?" An amused, familiar voice popped up behind her, and Riley jumped in surprise. Whirling around she came face to face with the very person she had been looking for.

Her aunt had been twenty-two when she had last seen her, and after five years she didn't seem all that different. The woman still had the same lovely almond eyes and brown hair, just a shade darker than her own caramel locks, and the same attractive face. However, Riley could also tell that she had aged from her slightly more worn and older features, but besides that her aunt still seemed pretty much the same, and as beautiful as she remembered.

"Hey, Aunt Naomi." Riley said with a slight wave and a small smile. Despite her current situation that forced her to come here, the girl was still happy to see her relative, and she wanted the woman to know that as well.

Naomi smiled warmly in return as her eyes took in her niece, noticing the changes that occurred over the past five years. "Hello, dear. You cut your hair I see."

Riley nodded as she awkwardly ran a hand through her short strands. "Yeah, I did two years ago."

"It looks good."

"Thanks."

Not knowing what else to say, an awkward silence fell upon the two, and Riley shifted nervously from foot to foot. What was she supposed to say to someone who she hadn't seen in half a decade? Her aunt, however, unknowingly saved her from her own question when she cleared her throat and motioned for her niece to follow her.

"Right, why don't we talk more on the way home? I'm sure you're tired from your flight." The woman suggested kindly, her eyes gently staring into Riley's.

The girl nodded wholeheartedly in agreement, her actions more than likely mimicking a clumsy bobble head in her haste to escape the uncomfortable atmosphere.

"Yeah, sounds good." Riley replied, but as she turned to grab the handle of her suitcase she was stopped by her aunt's voice.

"Oh, and Riley?"

"Yeah?" The girl asked, halting her movements to face her aunt. She was thoroughly shocked, though, when she felt warm arms wrap around her slim shoulders, bringing her into a loving embrace similar to what Riley remembered her mother doing to her numerous times. She instantly froze in place, eyes wide, her heart beating so hard against her ribcage that she was certain that her aunt could hear it.

"It's good to see you again, sweetie." Naomi said gently as she hugged her niece with all that she had, her kind words drifting into the girl's ear. Slowly, Riley managed to bring herself to relax, and though she could still feel her heart beating a million miles a minute she returned the hug, and rested her head wearily against her aunt.

"It's good to see you too, Aunt Naomi."

The drive back to her aunt's house had been relatively quick, and about less than half an hour Riley found herself staring at her new home. Naomi lived in a simple two story house in a quaint little neighborhood in Shibuya, Japan. On the way here, her aunt had informed her of everything she could think of about in order to make her niece feel a bit more welcomed. According to Naomi, the neighbors were very friendly, and there was also a park just a couple of blocks away if Riley ever wanted to visit, which the girl certainly did. Already she could picture herself on her skateboard soaring down the sidewalks, and perhaps she could make herself a new friend while she was there as well.

After grabbing her belongings out of her aunt's car, Riley followed her aunt up the paved driveway towards the front door. As Naomi held up her keys to unlock the door, Riley's gaze traveled off to the side, and she happened to spot an elderly lady, probably in her seventies, working on some roses in the yard next to theirs. The woman must've seen her as well, because she smiled and waved back, and Riley awkwardly returned it.

Naomi caught the action out of the corner of her eye, and she curiously turned her head to see what her niece was waving at. When she saw the elderly woman, Naomi gave her a friendly smile, much more enthusiastic than her niece's.

"Hello, Mrs. Hana!"

"Hello, Naomi," the old woman replied, her voice crackling slightly from old age. Putting down her gardening tools, she slowly approached the two younger women, eyeing Riley curiously. "Is this your niece, Naomi? The one I've heard so much about?"

"Yes." Naomi confirmed, and she placed a slender hand on the girl's shoulder. "This is Riley. Riley, this is our neighbor, Mrs. Hana."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, dear." Hana said warmly as she shook Riley's hand.

"Um, you too, Mrs. Hana." Riley returned just as politely.

"Oh, you look so much like your father did when he was your age!" The elderly woman gushed, her pale gray eyes lighting up in nostalgia.

Riley looked up at her new neighbor in surprise. "You knew my dad?"

"Of course," Hana declared with certainty, "why, when your father and aunt were kids I used to babysit them all the time; adventurous little rascals they were." She then sighed. "Such a shame what happened to him, his wife too."

Riley instantly stiffened after hearing the last sentence, her heart seizing up, and inwardly she scolded herself for being so childish. She basically had the whole summer to get over this, so why was she still freezing up whenever the topic was brought up, indirectly or not?

_Come on, Riley; get a grip_, the girl told herself as her hands tightened into fists, while taking a deep breath to ease her nerves.

Thankfully her aunt seemed to sense that the subject of her parents was bothering her, and the woman comfortingly squeezed the girl's shoulder, helping to calm her down.

"Yes, well, it was nice taking to you, Mrs. Hana," Naomi said in a neutral tone, but her expression suggested _exactly_ what she would've liked to tell the elderly woman for bringing up such a sore subject, "but we should go, Riley needs to unpack and get settled in."

"Of course," Hana gave them both a smile and waved farewell before she began to walk away, "see you later, dear."

Naomi didn't even wait to see if the woman had already left yet, instead she gently steered her niece inside the house, closing the door shut behind her. She then turned her gaze onto Riley, concern written across her features.

"Are you alright?" Naomi inquired softly. "Mrs. Hana means well, but she can also be a bit naive at times."

Riley frowned slightly as she considered the question she had been asking herself multiple times throughout the past couple of months. Was she alright?

There was a slight pause before Riley responded.

"I'll be okay, really. It's just going to take some getting used to, you know?" The girl fell silent for a moment before her lips twitched upwards into a wry smile. Raising an eyebrow, she glanced over at her aunt. "Oh, and _'a bit'_?"

Naomi blinked, and then chuckled when she realized that her niece was trying to make a joke. Her worry subsided for the moment, the woman started to lead the girl towards the stairs.

"Come on," she said in a much lighter tone, gesturing up towards the second floor, "let me show you your room."

Riley happily complied, but as she trailed after her aunt up the stairs her grin slowly fell, and a small frown was left in its place. She loved her aunt, she really did, and it was great to see her again and Riley appreciated what the woman was doing for her, but she couldn't deny the fact that she didn't want to be here, in Japan that is. Unfortunately for her, Naomi was the only person left that was alive out of her immediate family, so they were kind of stuck together, which happened to be thousands of miles away from where Riley's heart truly lied, back in America. Before today, she had been passed around by the remainder of her family-distant cousins who she had barely even known, and though she hadn't been particularly fond of them, and vice versa, she at least had been able to still see her friends.

Now, however, a whole ocean separated them from her.

An image of Naomi's gentle smile interrupted the girl's thoughts, and Riley immediately felt guilty when she recalled the tender love and warmth she had seen in her aunt's eyes. Here she was complaining, when her aunt had reached out and given her a home without asking for anything in return, and how did she repay the woman's kindness? Riley sighed, while mentally scolding herself. Perhaps, for her aunt, she could at least try and give this place a chance. What harm could it do?

Her mind made up, Riley eyes lit up in determination, and with a slightly lighter heart she followed her aunt to her room.

* * *

Lucemon was going to kill him.

This was the only thought running through his mind as he dashed through the dark underbrush of the forest, his boots splashing into dark, murky puddles as the rain continued to batter him with icy-cold drops of water. Mist swirled around him in every direction, and his crimson eyes darted along the trees warily while his hand hovered closely next to the gun strapped to his leg, ready to shoot the moment he spotted anything out of the ordinary. Thunder roared loudly overhead as lightning cracked across the dark sky, momentarily lighting the world around him, and he cursed under his breath when his legs almost gave out from underneath him after tripping over one the thick tree roots that decorated the forest floor.

His body couldn't take much more, he realized slowly, beginning to feel the effects of the adrenaline wearing off as he continued to trample through the forest. He was bruised, and covered in scratches, mementos of his earlier battles with six certain individuals, and if it wasn't for his pure stubbornness and determination, he would've more than likely collapsed a long time ago. His energy was just about spent, and he knew that he probably only had enough for one more round.

A dangerous smirk formed on his lips.

Oh well, he decided, undeterred by his current predicament. The truth was he thrived off of moments like this, walking a fine line between life and death, pushing his body to its limits just to see how far he could go. He planned on living of course, but if he was going to be killed might as well go out with a bang and bring his enemies down with him. His warrior blood pounded in his veins, and his hand was itching to shoot something, but he was not stupid. If he stopped and met his enemies head on he would most definitely be killed, so he kept on running. He planned on putting as much distance as he could between himself and his pursuers before they eventually caught up with him.

Suddenly his sharp ears heard something brush against the trees, and his red orbs narrowed as he prepared himself for what was about to come. He knew that sound, the sound of silk robes and light feet moving across the ground. There was only one person who that could be.

"Nazar Nail!"

Trusting his instincts, he quickly dodged to the side, his body slamming into the wet, mossy grass below, barely avoiding the deadly attack. Instead, it ended up hitting a nearby tree, right where his head had been just moments before, and he wrinkled his nose in disgust when the tree began to corrode.

"That will be you next." A feminine voice whispered smoothly. Turning around he was met a familiar face. A tall, black haired woman wearing purple robes stood several feet away from him, and she was smirking confidently as she stared down at him from his sprawled out position on the ground. He glared at her, his crimson eyes burning into her violet ones.

"Lilithmon." He growled as he stood up, his hand resting readily on the handle of his gun.

"Beelzemon." The female Digimon replied curtly, without any emotion. Her eyes glanced over his battered form. "I'm surprised you managed to dodge that, considering your current condition."

Beelzemon didn't bother to respond, and instead he pulled his gun out of its holster and pointed it at the female Demon Lord in front of him. Lilithmon scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"_Please_, as if you really have the energy or power to actually take me on and win." She crossed her arms. "Lucemon said that you're stubborn, but he failed to mention your stupidity as well."

"Who said that I needed to win?" Beelzemon countered, an arrogant smirk forming on his lips.

Lilithmon frowned slightly at his words, and casually flipped her dark hair over shoulder.

"Such a shame that Lucemon wishes for you to be destroyed, Beelzemon." She commented off-handedly, sarcasm dripping with every word and hardly sounding the least bit sorry at all. "I shall miss these _riveting_ talks of ours."

"Riveting? Right." Beelzemon snorted. _Riveting_ wasn't the word he would use. It was more like annoying the hell out of each other.

Lilithmon stared at him for a moment, contemplating, and then looked past the Demon Lord as if looking for something hidden in the bushes.

"Come on out, boys."

Beelzemon's eyes widened in surprise, and before he could blink he was surrounded by a group of SkullSatamon. The Demon Lord cursed under his breath, while mentally scolding himself. He should have sensed these weaklings long before now, and now he was paying for his mistake.

"Double-!" Beelzemon raised his gun, ready to fire while simultaneously reaching for his second strapped across his back, but he was cut off when Lilithmon suddenly rushed at him, claws ready to strike, and he abandoned his attack in order to safely escape the female Digimon's deadly move. Was it him or was she getting faster?

Unfortunately, the SkullSatamon took this opportunity to tackle the Demon Lord to the ground while he was distracted by their mistress. They toppled on top of biker Digimon, grabbing his guns and limbs, and Beelzemon swore, furious at how easy they had overcome him. If he was back to his full strength then these SkullSatamon would be nothing more than a pile of bones by now!

Seeing that her target wasn't going anywhere anytime soon, Lilithmon took her time approaching the other Demon Lord as she dusted off her robe. Her servants forced their captive's arms behind his back, and pushed him down onto his knees when she reached them, and Beelzemon growled up at her, his crimson eyes glaring daggers into hers. If looks could kill she imagined that she would be good as dead by now.

"Well, that was certainly easy." She said in a bored drawl. "Honestly, Beelzemon, I was expecting more of a fight from you. You must've been more injured than I thought."

Beelzemon only glared even harder.

Lilithmon rolled her eyes in response, but as her right arm began to glow with dark aura in preparation for the final blow her faced hardened, and her violet eyes narrowed into cold slits.

"I hope you have pleasant dreams, Beelzemon."

Pain suddenly flared through Beelzemon's chest as Lilithmon's claws plunged into him, and his already weakened body felt even weaker, heavier even as whatever strength he had left slowly began to fade away as the Nazar Nail began its work. He did not scream, he absolutely refused to, but his vision blurred and a strong spell of dizziness overcame him, causing him to sway slightly. Wearily he looked up, and was barely able to make out the female Demon Lord standing over him, who had her arm raised, ready to strike again.

However, before she could deliver the next blow she was stopped when a blinding, bright light erupted from underneath the forest floor. Lilithmon's eyes widened in alarm, and she swiftly jumped away from the swirling vortex of colors, her foe forgotten as she landed in the safety of a nearby tree. Her servants were quick to follow her, and they dropped Beelzemon with a thud as they took to the sky, a hint of fear visible in their eyes. Lilithmon frowned as she watched the bright light consume the Demon Lord's battered form, and before she could blink it disappeared with a flash of blinding light, going as quickly as it had come, taking her captive with it.

Lilithmon scowled, unimpressed by the unexpected turn of events.

"Saved by a digital-portal, how pathetic." She said rather disappointedly. She had been looking forward to destroying her former comrade, and now her chance was gone. Although, it was quite odd for a portal to suddenly appear like that, and with that kind of timing as well. She eyed the spot Beelzemon had been just moments before in suspicion. It was almost as if the portal had a mind of its own.

"Should we try to go after him, milady?" One of the SkullSatamon inquired from where it hovered in the air, interrupting her thoughts.

"No." Lilithmon replied. "As injured as he was he'll be a Digi-Egg in a matter of minutes. Besides, Lucemon has made it very clear that he doesn't want anyone going to the human world without his permission."

There was a moment of silence as the SkullSatamon eyed the spot where Beelzemon once laid, thunder booming overhead. Lilithmon then sighed and motioned for her servants to follow her.

"Let's go. There's nothing more we can do here."

A second later the group vanished into the shadows of the trees.

* * *

Riley wearily glanced over at her digital clock on the bedside table, and groaned slightly when she saw that it was past midnight. Unable to sleep, she pushed her covers away with a huff and hopped out of bed, and began searching for some clothes and her tennis shoes, thinking some walking around might do her some good. As she changed out of her pajamas, her bright green eyes once again took in the surroundings of her new room, or more importantly, what used to be her father's old bedroom when he and Naomi were kids.

The room was bare for the most part. Naomi had moved all of her dad's old belongings up into the attic for safe keeping so that Riley could have enough space for all of her stuff. All that remained of her father's things was a lone box in the corner of her room that her aunt had yet to move out. The rest of the bedroom was littered with boxes and containers of Riley's own things that she had yet to unpack, including her skateboard, which was sticking out of its case almost teasingly, as if just begging to be used.

Deciding that a quick ride couldn't hurt, she had been planning on going outside for a short walk anyway, Riley grabbed her skateboard, along with her cell and headphones once she was dressed, and quietly approached her door and carefully pressed her ear against it, listening. She remained in that position for several seconds, and when nothing reached her ears the girl concluded that her aunt was definitely asleep, and she slowly pushed her door open, careful not to make any noise, and silently slipped out into the hallway. Quietly, Riley tip-toed down the stairs, and once she reached the front door she gently pried it open before she stepped outside, closing it behind her with a soft _click_ as she went.

Relieved to finally be out of the house, even though it was during the middle of the night, Riley eagerly hopped onto her skateboard and rolled down the smoothly paved sidewalk, feeling as if a huge weight had been momentarily lifted from her shoulders. The girl smiled. No matter what the situation, riding always helped clear her mind and made her feel better.

For a while, Riley was content to roam aimlessly as music played softly through her headphones, though she made sure to stay within a relatively safe distance from her aunt's house. As she wondered, the girl's thoughts began to drift back towards her friends who she had left behind in America, wondering if they missed her as much as she missed them, and she sighed as another wave of homesickness washed over her.

_At this rate I'll never make it here_, she thought glumly, already dreading the long school year that would be starting tomorrow morning. _C'mon, Riley, you're better than this! Just think positive thoughts!_

Encouraged by her own miniature pep talk, the girl continued to roll down the street, humming every once and a while when a certain song that she liked came on. Eventually, she came across the neighborhood park that her aunt had mentioned earlier, and she studied it with great interest as she passed by it, her green eyes lighting up when she liked what she saw.

"Not bad." Riley said quietly to herself, a large grin forming on her lips. She was eager to try this place out the moment she got out of school tomorrow. "Not bad at all."

"_I'm an angel with a shot-zzzz-gun-zzzz . . ._"

Riley paused when static suddenly interrupted one of her favorite songs, and brought her skateboard to halt. With a confused frown, the girl took off her headphones and studied them closely, wondering what was wrong with them as static continued to play. The Beats were fairly new and she hadn't dropped them, so they couldn't be broken. Riley's examination of her headphones was cut off, though, when her cell started to shine unusually bright from within her pocket. Her brows furrowed as she pulled out her iPhone, and she blinked when she saw the digital numbers on the clock racing across the screen, hardly more than a blur.

_What the . . ? _

The street lights above her suddenly began to flicker, causing the girl to look up, and her eyes widened in astonishment when she saw the night sky. A bright, swirling vortex of colors was slowly stretching across the dark atmosphere, blocking out the stars and the moon, and a sudden flash of blinding light cracked across the horizon, startling Riley and causing her to jump in alarm. Not even a second later, a glowing object suddenly erupted from the multi-colored whirlpool, and it soared through the air like a missile, coming straight towards the earth at breakneck speeds.

Right at her, Riley realized with growing dread.

For one agonizing moment, the girl felt as if she couldn't move as the glowing object came rushing at her, her legs frozen in fear as her heart skipped a beat, but it quickly passed as her survival mode kicked in, and she jumped to the side onto the hard sidewalk just as it came roaring past her, causing her hair to blow wildly behind her from the force of the tailwind. With a deafening thud, the glowing object crashed into the middle of the park, taking the swing set along with it, and Riley protectively covered her head with her arms as glass from nearby street lights shattered and rained down on her from the force of the impact.

And then there was nothing but silence.

For several minutes, Riley just laid there on the on the ground as she tried to calm her frantic heartbeat, her ears ringing from the sudden silence that followed the crash. Taking deep breaths, she slowly pushed herself off of the cold, hard sidewalk, her hands and knees shaking slightly as she did so, and Riley warily eyed her surroundings once she was back on her feet. She spotted her skateboard, cell, and headphones a few feet away from her, and was relieved that her belongings survived the crash. The girl's gaze then traveled over towards where the glowing object had landed, and she anxiously bit her lip, debating if she should go see what it was.

Her curiosity eventually won over her initial fear, and she shakily began walking towards the crash site, wondering what could've fallen from the sky in such an unusual manner. The girl followed the trail that had been dug into the ground, and eventually arrived at a large crater where the monkey bars used to be. Riley nervously wringed her hands as she cautiously peered over the edge of the large hole, her heart pounding furiously against her ribcage, afraid of what she may find. She was surprised however, to see a glowing figure at the bottom of the crater, but before she could examine it any further the form disappeared, leaving in its place a round, and purple object.

Fear completely abandoned, and thoroughly intrigued now, Riley gracefully leapt over the edge and approached the darkly colored item, but when she crouched down to study it closer she was stunned by what she saw.

"It's an egg." Riley realized softly as she picked it up, recognizing the familiar shape of the object. She carefully turned it over in her hands, inspecting it, and her brows furrowed in confusion as she glanced back up at the sky, noticing that the strange light she had seen was now gone.

"But . . . where did it come from?"

* * *

**To be continued . . .**

**So yeah, that's the first chapter, and I hope you've all enjoyed it. Now one thing I want to point out is Riley's behavior. At the moment she may seem a bit down about everything, but its for good reason. I mean, she just lost her parents and is now in a completely new country, leaving everything and everyone she knew behind. I'd be a little upset too. But no worries! Riley will not stay like this for much longer, and you'll soon get to see more of what she's really like!**

**Review Please! Reviews determine if I should continue the story or not.**


	2. Chapter 2

**I do not own Digimon, it rightfully belongs to its respective owners!**

**Forbidden Friendship**

**Chapter 2 – First Encounters**

The sirens echoed loudly in his ears as he ran down the pristine hallways, the flashing red lights dancing out of the corner of his eye as he exited the corridor and entered the control room, where he found the exact two people he had been looking for.

"Mina, what's going on?!" He demanded, declaring his presence to the people in the room as he strolled up to the black haired woman typing furiously away at the main computer.

"I don't know, sir!" She replied back, her voice holding an almost frantic edge to it. "Our scanners have picked up a huge energy signature, but they can't identify it, and now everything's going haywire!"

"What do you mean '_they can't identify it_'?!" He yelled, stunned that their normally reliable equipment wasn't working as it should've been.

"Liam." A strong voice called the man's name.

Turning his head, Liam faced the other person in the room. His eyes met the face of a tall, humanoid figure covered in silver armor with a dark cape draped over his shoulders.

"Yes, Alphamon?" He asked the Digimon, prompting the Royal Knight to continue.

"I think I know who it is, or at least _what_ it is." Alphamon replied, his golden eyes serious. "It seems that one of _them_ has finally managed to cross over to the Human World."

For a moment, Liam wasn't sure what his friend was talking about, but then his eyes widened in alarm when he realized who the Digimon was referring to.

"No." He whispered, horrified by the sudden turn of events, and Mina gasped as she reached the same conclusion, placing a delicate hand over her mouth. Alphamon nodded grimly in confirmation.

"Yes," the Digimon replied, "a Demon Lord has appeared in the Human World."

* * *

Riley stared intently at the mysterious egg she had found last night. The young girl was sitting in the middle of her bed, arms crossed and a look of deep concentration on her face as she studied the object, which rested on top of one of her pillows. The egg merely gleamed almost innocently in the sunlight that streamed through her window blinds, and Riley frowned, unimpressed.

Due to the fact that she had school today, she hadn't been able to stay up later than she already had last night, and had reluctantly forced herself to go to bed the moment she had gotten back home. So instead, she had woken up early, giving her about an hour and a half to figure out what exactly this thing was before she had to be at school. Needless to say her curiosity was about to explode. She was dying to know what this thing was.

The only problem was that she was coming up short with answers.

Carefully, Riley reached over and picked up the large egg, turning it over in her hands as she once again studied its strange design, looking for any clues that she may have missed.

"Maybe it came from some weird Japanese ostrich, or something?" She mumbled thoughtfully to herself. It was the only explanation she could think of anyway, since the egg was so big, and the girl didn't recognize it from anything she had seen back home.

Then again, ostrich eggs didn't fall from the sky, or glow for that matter.

_I wonder what's inside_, Riley thought quietly as she rested the egg in her lap, beginning to feel a bit bored with her lack of results. Her mind then jokingly began to entertain the thought that perhaps something mythological rested within its depths. Why else would it be so big? The girl laughed at herself as images of dragons appeared in her head, amused by her own wild imagination, but quickly shook these thoughts away, knowing they weren't true.

But still . . .

Amusement fading, Riley glanced down at the egg, her eyes thoughtful as she recalled the lights that appeared in the sky before the round object had crashed into the park. She had never seen anything quite like that before, and it couldn't have been the Northern lights, Japan was too far south for that.

"For such a small thing, you sure have a big mystery around you." Riley told the egg as she lightly traced its smooth surface with her finger.

Speaking of mysteries, Riley's thoughts then drifted back towards America, or more specifically her best friend, Sarah, who was a huge mystery fanatic. _Scooby-Doo_ and _Nancy Drew_ were the girl's childhood heroes, and there was no doubt in Riley's mind that her friend would find her "Mystery Egg" utterly fascinating. Riley was fairly certain that Sarah could solve this anomaly with a snap of her fingers, which made her wish that her best friend was here even more.

Riley sighed as another wave of homesickness washed over her, and she suddenly felt alone. Aside from her aunt, who she loved dearly, she had no one else, no friends, and she wished more than anything that she had someone there with her in this new land, a true friend to whom she could share her troubles and deepest secrets with now that Sarah could not, someone who could fill the void that had appeared in her heart the moment her parents had passed away. She wished for that more than anything in the world.

Unbeknownst to Riley, who was still lost in her thoughts, the egg suddenly hummed underneath her fingers, as if secretly answering to her silent plea, and a few moments later the sound of cracking could be heard. Hearing this, the girl glanced down, and blinked in surprise when she saw that the egg's shell was slowly breaking apart. Carefully, she lifted her hand off of its smooth surface, not wanting to disturb it in any way, and her green eyes watched with rapt attention as more cracks appeared. Intrigued, Riley slowly leaned in closer, eager to find out what was inside.

However, Riley was soon forced to remove her gaze away from the egg when a glowing, white orb suddenly materialized before her. Eyes widening in awe, the girl silently watched as the ball of light faded, revealing a small technological device in its place. Hesitantly, Riley reached out her hand and grabbed the strange object from where it hovered in the air, feeling as if it was somehow calling to her. Carefully, she turned the little gizmo over in her hands, and studied it closely, wondering where it could've possibly come from.

The strange device was mostly round in shape, and there was a thin slot on its right side, similar to what a credit card would be swiped through. The body was white in color, but the strap on the end and the rim around the rectangular screen in the center were silver. There was also a series of peculiar symbols etched into the device's smooth surface, and the girl frowned slightly as her thumb gently ran across them. She didn't recognize any of the strange markings, and she briefly wondered what they were for.

Before she could ponder any further, however, Riley was snapped out of her thoughts when the egg suddenly gave a violent shake and was soon enveloped in a bright light. The girl let out a gasp of surprise and quickly held up her hands to shield her eyes, and as she peaked through her fingers Riley could see the digital numbers on her alarm clock once again going haywire, just like her cellphone last night.

_W-What's going on_?! She thought frantically, officially more than a little freaked out at the moment.

However, just when Riley thought the light couldn't get any brighter it suddenly disappeared, leaving just as quickly as it came. The girl slowly lowered her arms in confusion. Everything seemed as if it was back to normal, and a quick glance at her alarm clock showed that the numbers were no longer flashing uncontrollably, but Riley still couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. Believing that the egg might provide some answers, her green eyes glanced down at her lap, but to her shock it was no longer there.

Instead, in its place was a small, purple creature.

The creature was round in shape, and had no limbs except for two tiny ears that stuck up on top of its head, and it had two eyes which were currently closed.

Riley raised an incredulous eyebrow, having never seen such a strange looking thing before in her life. Her interest peaked; she warily leaned closer to the small being, and was just about to poke it when she saw its eyes slowly flutter open. The girl instantly went still as black eyes met her green ones, and for a moment neither of them moved.

The purple creature suddenly scowled in annoyance when the girl continued to just stare, and its eyes narrowed into a glare.

"What are you looking at?" It said harshly, revealing its voice to be distinctively male.

Riley on the other hand suddenly felt as if she was going to faint.

"I-It _talks_!" She whispered almost hysterically, her voice cracking slightly.

"Hey, who're you calling an '_it_,' girly!" The purple thing yelled angrily, clearly offended and annoyed. He frowned though when he saw the girl's completion suddenly go pale, and that's when he noticed her freaked out expression. He blinked, wondering if she was broken. "Uh . . . kid?"

Riley, who had been trying to keep her cool, couldn't take it anymore, and let out a high pitched shriek that had slowly been building up in the back of her throat.

"AAAHHHHHHH!" She cried while frantically swatting at the purple creature, and it let out a startled yelp as she sent it flying towards the other side of the room. This, however, caused Riley to lose her balance and she tumbled off of her bed with a loud _thud_. Groaning, Riley wearily rubbed the back of her head where it had come in contact with the floor, but when she spotted_ the thing_ lying several feet away from her she quickly scrambled backwards with a startled cry until her back met the wall. Reaching out blindly with her hand, the girl hastily searched for something to defend herself with, and grabbed the closest thing she could find, her pillow.

"That is the _last time_ I eat Japanese food!" Riley exclaimed as she raised her pillow over her head, ready to strike at any sign of hostility. She watched with a calculative eye as the purple creature slowly came out of its daze, and her grip on the pillow tightened in anticipation.

"Whoa . . ." It muttered woozily as it struggled to sit upright, and it slowly blinked up at the human girl. For a brief moment it seemed confused by her presence, but then its eyes lit up in recognition and a deep scowl formed on its features. "Hey, you hit me!"

"And I'll do it again if you come any closer!" Riley warned the tiny creature.

The small being seemed rather skeptical and it raised an eyebrow, "With a pillow?"

"That's right!" The girl shot back, trying to appear confident, but she could faintly feel her face turning red. A pillow as her weapon; God, what had she been thinking?! She cleared her throat. "So don't even think about pulling something!"

Riley was taken aback, though, when the creature scoffed in response.

"Tch, as if I'd waste my efforts on a human." It muttered snidely, scowl back in place.

Riley blinked, and slightly lowered her pillow. "What?"

The creature rolled its eyes before it decided to elaborate. "Look, I'm not gonna hurt ya, kid."

Riley opened her mouth to respond, but the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs cut her off.

"Riley?" The girl heard her aunt's muffled voice drift through the door, and Riley's eyes widened in alarm when she realized that the footsteps were getting closer.

Jumping to her feet, Riley quickly glanced around her room, searching for anything to hide her unknown guest with. Her hands frantically ran through her short hair as she tried to think of something, but she was drawing a blank and her aunt was steadily getting closer. She literally had mere seconds to come up with something fast before her aunt eventually walked through the door. Groaning, Riley dashed for the blankets on her bed, and in a last ditch effort she tossed them over the small creature, who yelped in surprise just as the door handle began turn. The girl quickly plastered an innocent smile on her face as her aunt opened the bedroom door.

_Just be cool_, she told herself in a placating manner. _Try to act normal_.

"Good morning, Aunt Naomi!" Riley enthusiastically greeted the woman with the widest grin she could possibly manage, and her aunt nearly stepped back in surprise by the amount of enthusiasm behind the girl's words.

"Uh, good morning, dear," Naomi replied after a moment's pause, and she briefly glanced around the room before returning her gaze back to her niece. "Are you alright? I thought I heard you scream just a minute ago."

"Uh, yeah," Riley said slowly while frantically wracking her brain for some kind of excuse, "I, um, fell out bed."

The twelve year old then mentally smacked herself on the forehead. Really, _that_ was the best she could come up with? Riley only prayed that her aunt would buy it.

"You . . . fell out of bed?" The woman repeated with a befuddled frown, making sure that she had heard her niece right. She then caught sight of the blankets and pillows on the floor, and figured that Riley hadn't been kidding.

"Yep," the girl confirmed while awkwardly rubbing the back of her next. Her aunt hummed thoughtfully in response, her eyes staring intently into Riley's, and for one fearful moment the girl feared that her aunt didn't believe her.

"Well, I just came up to check on you, and to remind you to start getting ready for school." Naomi finally replied, moving on to the main reason why she had come up here, and Riley mentally sighed in relief. "Breakfast should be ready soon, so hurry up. You have about an hour till we leave."

"Alright, thanks for letting me know." With a sheepish smile, Riley gave her aunt an awkward wave as the woman moved to leave the room. Before she left, though, Naomi turned to give her niece one last long look, but then shrugged and softly closed the door behind her as she headed back down the stairs.

The moment she could no longer hear her aunt's footsteps, Riley dropped to the floor and quickly threw back the blankets she had thrown over her tiny guest, but her eyes widened in alarm when she saw that it was no longer there.

"Huh?" Riley then began shifting through her blankets, wondering if it had gotten tangled up inside the sheets. She frowned, though, when she came up empty-handed. Had she just imagined all of it? "Now where could that fur-ball have disappeared to?"

"Who ya calling a fur-ball?"

Riley nearly jumped out of her skin, and she whirled around to see the small, purple creature standing right behind her, firm scowl still in place and looking very irritated.

"Don't _do_ that!" The girl hissed, while placing a hand over her heart. "You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

The creature just scoffed. "Ya don't have to act like I'm going to bite your head off, kid. I said I wasn't going to hurt ya."

"And why should I believe you?" Riley asked suspiciously, her green eyes narrowing.

"Because humans are weak, and I don't fight the weak. It's a waste of my efforts and my time." The small being rudely stated as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, and Riley didn't know whether to be relieved or insulted. The creature's black eyes then hardened, "_Unless_, you give me a reason to, got it, kid?"

Riley quickly nodded. "Got it."

"Good."

An awkward silence then fell upon the two, and the air was so tense that you could almost cut it with a knife. In the back of her mind, Riley knew that she should've probably started getting ready for school. Her aunt would undoubtedly be calling her down for breakfast any minute now, but she was far more interested in the tiny creature before her to care. Now that she knew she wasn't in any immediate danger, the girl was dying to get some answers. She was still a bit wary and suspicious of this mysterious being, but she figured that if it really wanted to hurt her then it would've done so already.

_Boy, would Sarah have a field day with this_.

"So," Riley began slowly, unsure on how exactly to begin as she sat down into a cross-legged position, "do you have a name?"

The creature stared at her for a moment, as if inwardly debating on whether or not it—no, _he_, Riley distinctively recalled his voice being male—should reveal his name to her or keep it to himself.

"It's Kiimon." He eventually replied, though he didn't seem too particularly pleased about telling her his name.

"Kiimon," Riley echoed softly, testing the name out on her tongue. "My name's Riley."

Kiimon merely grunted in acknowledgement, and the girl got the distinct feeling that he really didn't care one way or the other if he knew her name or not.

"So, Kiimon," Riley continued, deciding to ignore the little creature's attitude for the moment, "what are you exactly, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Geez, you humans really don't know anything." Kiimon replied condescendingly, and Riley frowned, becoming a bit irritated herself with his blatant amount of disrespect. "I'm a Digital Monster or Digimon for short."

Riley blinked. "Digital Monster?"

Kiimon nodded, and Riley's expression became thoughtful. It would seem that she hadn't completely been too far off when she'd jokingly considered that something mythological resided in that egg, but a Digital Monster? She'd never heard of anything quite like that before, and if she was to be honest it sounded more like a computer game that Sarah's little brother would play.

"And where do you 'Digimon' come from?" The girl asked skeptically, still not quite sure if she believed everything the creature had told her.

"Why do you want to know so badly?" Kiimon inquired as he eyed the human girl with narrowed eyes.

"Well I am the one who found you, so don't you think I kind of deserve the right to know?" Riley pointed out, crossing her arms.

Kiimon clenched his teeth, inwardly realizing that she had a point, though he'd never tell her that, but before he could respond he was interrupted by Riley's aunt.

"Riley, breakfast is ready!" The woman yelled from downstairs.

Kiimon's attention immediately left the conversation at the mention of food. He had yet to eat anything since he'd hatched, and was just now realizing how hungry he was. As if reading his thoughts, his stomach suddenly let out a loud rumble, and Riley gave him a curious look.

"Are you hungry?"

The Digimon whipped his head around so fast that Riley briefly wondered if he got whiplash.

"No!"

The girl raised a dubious eyebrow when his stomach gave another low rumble. "You sure?"

Kiimon's face morphed into a stubborn frown. "I'm fine!" He proclaimed adamantly before turning his back on her. However, Riley could still faintly hear the hungry growls emitting from his stomach.

"I'll bring you a plate when I get back." She told the small Digimon as she stood up. Ignoring Kiimon's bewildered expression, Riley headed for the door, but before she left she gave the Digimon a stern look. "Just stay up here and don't make a mess."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever; just bring plenty of food back!"

Shaking her head at the Digimon's rude behavior, Riley left her bedroom and headed for the kitchen.

* * *

Roughly fifteen minutes later, Riley returned and in her hands was a plate full of scrambled eggs and a couple strips of bacon. For her first day of school in a new country, Naomi had gone all out and had made the girl a big, hearty breakfast, American style. Riley had been touched by her aunt's thoughtfulness, and hoped that after having such a great breakfast the rest of the day would go just as smoothly.

"Finally! I'd thought you'd never show up!"

Riley sighed at Kiimon's rather ill-mannered words as she closed the door behind her, and she crouched down to place the plate on floor so that it would be easier for the small Digimon to eat.

"Have you ever heard the saying that 'patience is a virtue'?" She asked rhetorically as she moved over to browse through her clothes inside her closet.

Kiimon didn't respond. He was too busy stuffing his face with scrambled eggs.

Rolling her eyes, Riley returned to her closet, and debated on what she should wear for her first day of school. Her wardrobe mostly consisted of T-shirts, shorts, and pants so there really wasn't that much of a variety. Though she did own some girly clothing, they weren't really Riley's style, and she only saved them for special occasions. So with a shrug, the girl grabbed her favorite top and a pair of blue jean shorts, and headed for the bathroom across the hallway so that she could change.

Once she was dressed, Riley discarded her pajamas into the dirty clothes basket, and returned to her room. As she walked by her bed, though, her foot bumped into something, causing her pause in mid-step. Glancing down, Riley spotted the strange silver and white device that had mysteriously appeared when Kiimon had hatched. She must've dropped it when she had fallen out of bed earlier. Bending over, Riley picked up the little gizmo, the smooth metal gently sliding into her fingers, and she gazed at it thoughtfully for a moment. Truth be told, she had completely forgotten about the gadget, and once again wondered what it was for. It had to be important; otherwise it wouldn't have appeared when it did.

_Perhaps Kiimon knows_, the girl thought to herself.

"Hey, Kiimon-?" Riley turned to look at the tiny Digimon, question forming on her lips, but stopped when she saw him suddenly become enveloped in a bright light.

_Just like last night and when he hatched_, she realized softly, her eyes never leaving Kiimon's glowing form. When the light eventually faded, Riley's eyes widened in astonishment when she saw that the Digimon had at least doubled in size, and that some of his physical traits had changed as well. He was still mostly covered in the same dark purple-colored fur, except for his face, which was now light brown. Also, his eyes were no longer black, but a bright green, strikingly similar to her own green orbs, which the girl found strangely curious.

As if her day could get any weirder.

"W-What . . ?" Riley stuttered, at a loss for words. Clearing her throat she tried again. "What just happened?"

"I digivolved, that's what." The still rather small Digimon replied between mouthfuls of food. Even after digivolving he still hadn't stopped eating.

_Though it's not the form I'd prefer it'll do for now_, he conceded, not entirely pleased but it beats being stuck at the Fresh-level.

Riley's face became pensive, processing the newly added information that Kiimon had given her. It would seem that 'digivolving' was the term used when a Digimon reached its next stage in evolution. That's what it looked like at least, though Riley wasn't completely sure. She'd have to ask more about it later, but right now she was more intrigued with the small technological device she was currently holding in her hand.

"Anyway, Kiimon, I was wondering-" Riley began, but she was interrupted once again by the small creature.

"-My name's Yaamon now."

The girl blinked in confusion. "Huh?"

"When Digimon digivolve their names change." Yaamon explained shortly, pausing in his eating. "Don't ask me why, it just does."

"Okay," Riley replied slowly, deciding to just go with it, and held up the silver and white gadget for Yaamon to see, "What I wanted to know was if you could tell me what this is?"

The Digimon glanced up from his meal, and when he saw the achingly familiar device in the girl's hands his eyes widened and he promptly choked. Coughing, he spat out his food, and once he regained his breath he looked back up at the girl just to make sure he wasn't seeing things. Nope, the little gizmo was still there, firmly held in the human's small, childish hands, and for one brief moment Yaamon thought he might pass out.

No. Freaking. Way.

Yaamon continued to just stare at the silver and white object, silently praying that this was all just a bad dream. Though he had never seen one until today, he'd heard the legends, so he knew exactly what this thing was, and what it meant. There had to be some kind of mistake. After everything he had done during his long existence, out of all the Digimon in the world, he couldn't possibly be one of _them_. He didn't want to be one of them, not with this human _child_! He absolutely loathed the mere thought of it! Lucemon used to say that _they_ would show up eventually, but he hadn't actually believed it. _They_ were supposed to be a myth!

Yaamon then paled.

God, Lucemon. What would _he_ think of this? If he didn't want him dead before he certainly would now.

"Uh, Yaamon, are you okay?" Riley asked feeling a bit concerned for the small Digimon when he didn't respond. Yaamon shook his head, snapping out of his thoughts.

"I'm fine," he quickly assured the girl, perhaps a little too quickly, his voice uncharacteristically serious and holding a certain edge to it that Riley couldn't quite place. His gaze returned to the device in her hands. "Kid, where did you get that?"

"It just appeared right before you hatched." The girl clarified as she looked down at the silver and white object in her grasp. "Do you know what it is?"

"Yeah, I do." The Digimon muttered lowly, his voice suddenly bitter. Clenching his teeth, he looked away from Riley's inquiring gaze, and reluctantly bit out, "It means we're partners."

Raising an eyebrow, Riley tilted her head, puzzled. "Partners? For what?"

Yaamon didn't answer. Instead he continued to glare a hole into the floor, refusing to meet the girl's eyes. Needless to say he looked very frustrated and put out about something, though Riley couldn't fathom of what. So with a sigh, the girl climbed to her feet, realizing that the Digimon wasn't going to talk anytime soon, and began to search for her shoes. Judging by the numbers on her clock, it was almost time to leave for school, and her aunt would undoubtedly by calling her name any minute now.

"Look we'll have to finish this conversation later, right now I have to go to school." Riley announced after finding her worn out, faded blue tennis shoes by her bed. Quickly, she slipped them on, and grabbed her backpack off the floor and hoisted it onto her shoulders. Turning around, she gave the small Digimon a stern look and placed her hands firmly on her hips. "Just stay here, and _please_ don't get into any trouble. I should be back around three o'clock."

Yaamon simply scoffed. "It's not like I can really go anywhere." He muttered, undoubtedly referring to his lack of limbs.

Knowing that she wasn't going to get anything better from him, Riley turned to leave, but as she passed the lone box that contained some of her father's old items something shiny caught her out of the corner of her eye. Pausing, the girl knelt down and peered inside, and blinked in slight surprise when she saw what had grabbed her attention. It was a pair of silver-rimmed goggles, still in fairly good condition. Reaching out with her hand, Riley carefully picked them up, and the sunlight streaming through her window glinted off of the object's metal rim.

For a moment, the girl just stared at her father's old goggles, taking in its sentimental value, and thinking that it may be a good luck charm she unzipped her backpack and placed the object inside. Standing up, Riley left her room with a small smile. Even though her parents were now gone, it was nice to know that she carried a small piece of her father with her on this important day. She prayed that it gave her the strength to face any obstacles she may face in the near future.

Little did she know just how right she was.

* * *

**To be continued . . .**

**Yep so that was the second chapter (obviously) and now that the two main characters have finally met each other things will definitely start to pick up. And next time Riley will be meeting some of the other Digidestined! **

**Now the Digidestined in this story will have the same Digivices as the Tamers in Season 03 simply because I like the fact that they are able to actually help out their partners during battle with their cards instead of just standing off to the side like sitting ducks. There will also be other elements from the first four Digimon seasons involved in this story. In fact, Riley's reaction to Kiimon was based off of Tai's in Adventure 01, since out of all the Digidestined I thought Tai's was the most realistic.**

**REVIEW PLEASE! Reviews determine if I should continue the story or not. **


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